Half
by Sirens And Muses
Summary: He was a half of everything...half elf and half human; half person and half machine. Rated T because the dream said so. And the dream is never wrong.
1. Strike A Nerve

**Siren: So, how about this came to me in a dream and I needed it out of my head. Messin' with the plot. Yeah.**

**Muse: It's different from what we really write...usually we don't have a plot. Ever.**

**Siren: What is this 'plot' you speak of?**

**Muse: Disclaimer!**

**(poof) Missing Plot: I'm here! I'm here! Sirens & Muses don't own ToS!**

**Siren: It's a monster! Gah! (beats with Pepsi can) Review, please!**

* * *

It was sheer dumb luck that Luke saw him. He was in Palmacosta at the time, working on the _Isabella_, the city's prized steamship and probably the most advanced piece of technology in Sylvarant. The captain had paid him pretty well: ten thousand gald. He was leaning against a building, tapping his fingers against the brick wall.

Luke didn't see him first. Actually, what caught his attention was when he looked up from the ground, he saw a teenage girl staring at him. Well, not at him actually. His arm. It was a warm day, so Luke had found no harm in wearing a sleeveless undershirt. Apparantly, some of the townspeople did. He'd been getting stares and whispers all day. People would keep a few feet between themselves and him, skirting their children away from him. None of this was unusual.

She was staring at it, her blue eyes round as she blinked incredulously. He cracked a small smile and waved at her. She gasped and blushed before giggling and waving back.

"Hey, Colette, come on!" They both looked up to see a boy in red waving her over. She smiled and waved to Luke.

"Goodbye!" She ran off, up towards her friend, who was now joined by a pair of half-elves. Luke was about to say goodbye back, but the words caught in his throat when he saw the next person come into view.

Kratos Aurion.

The man stiffened when he saw Luke. His eyes went wide and he immediately stared at his boots. Luke swallowed and rushed through the first door he saw, into a building he'd entered only handful of times in his life: a church of Martel.

The church patrons in the back glanced up-he'd apparently interrupted some kind of sermon-and motioned for him to take a seat in the pews. He hurriedly sat in the last pew, on the very edge, and bowed his head. When it came time to recite the prayers, he whispered different words, ones his mother had taught him so long ago, that he still remembered to this day because he said them every evening.

"Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name," he began.

_What is he doing here?_

"Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done…"

_Okay, dumb question. What do you think he's doing here?_

"On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread." People near him were beginning to give him dirty looks.

_Does this mean he went back to Mithos?_

"And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us."

_So, does that mean that girl was the Chosen of Sylvarant?_

"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."

_And the people who were with him…who were they?_

"For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory," he said, his voice rising above the murmurs of the rest of the congregation.

_He's not going to kill them, too._

"For ever and ever."

_Is he?_

"Amen." Luke raised his head to see that the entire church had stopped their prayer to stare at him. His last words echoed back at him in the silent building, resonating a sort of emptiness. He had to get out of there, he had to ask Kratos the questions ping-ponging around in his head. Not that he expected Kratos to answer, but still...

Silently, he stood and walked out of the church, ignoring the blatantly hateful stares he was getting.

Outside, he leaned against the wall again, this time to scope out Kratos. If he was in Palmacosta, he probably had a hotel room. He entered the inn and spoke gently to the young woman behind the desk.

"Excuse me," he said politely. "I'm looking for someone."

She stared, mouth open, at his left arm. He sighed and repeated himself.

"What? Oh!" She flushed a shade of red and said quietly, "I'm sorry. Ca-can I help you?"

"Did you happen to see a red-headed man? He's wearing purple, and is travelling with a blonde girl, a young man in red, and-"

"Luke." He spun around and came face to face with Kratos.

"Never mind, I found him." Luke looked around. "Where are your buddies?"

Kratos sighed. "They're out exploring the town. I told them I'd reserve our hotel rooms."

Luke waited impatiently while the mercenary paid of his room. Finally, Kratos motioned for him to follow. The second they were in the room, Kratos shut and locked the door. "I don't want to have to explain why I have a man who looks like he's ten years my junior in my hotel room."

"You do know you're twenty-two years older than me, right?" Luke said, flopping on one of the beds. Kratos ignored him.

"Why are you here, Luke?" he asked quietly.

"Oh, well, since you asked, I've been travelling the world tricking and kidnapping little blonde girls so I can sacrifice them for a dead woman. I hope I didn't step on your toes." He flashed a goofy smile.

"Be serious, for once in your life," Kratos said agitatedly.

Luke's smile faded. Kratos had always had a limited sense of humor, but it looked like he wasn't in the mood. "Working on a ship," he said shortly.

"What about Lucy and Dominic?"

"At their home by Meltokio. It's very cozy. If you bothered to visit, you'd know how nice they keep it."

"And your arm?"

He held up his left arm and waved it. "As good as it's going to get. Could use some adjusting, a little bit of TLC, but nothing I can't handle."

Kratos sighed and sat down beside him. "I suppose you're wondering what I'm doing here."

"Nope," Luke said. "I guessed that already. Actually, I'm wondering about the kids you're travelling with. You know, what they'll be doing at the end of the Regeneration Journey."

"You know me, Luke," Kratos said quietly. "I already tried to keep the two boys at their village, but they followed. Nothing bad will happen to them."

"Nothing bad will happen, huh?" he repeated, standing up. He knew exactly how to push his old friend's buttons. "I remember the last time you said that. About fourteen years ago, if my memory serves me correctly."

Kratos stood next to Luke. The cool, calm mask he had on seconds ago was gone now, his face filled with fury and sadness. "Be quiet," he hissed.

The words were out of Luke's mouth before he could stop them. "And look what happened to Anna and Lloyd. I'd say that was pretty bad. You sure you want to stick by that?"

He'd been staring directly into Kratos' eyes, which would explain how he missed the older man's hand clenching into a fist and raising. It struck him squarely in the mouth, knocking a few teeth loose. He fell to the floor, surprised that Kratos would actually hit him. He'd never done that before.

"I deserved that," Luke said, touching his face. He could taste the blood, but was more worried about the glare of pure hatred Kratos was giving him from above.

"Get out," he whispered. "And don't come back."

"Okay." He held up both hands in surrender. "I'm leaving."

The door slammed shut behind him. He left, trying to look inconspicuous, what with his arm and his now bruised face. He was so distracted, he didn't see where he was walking…

_Smack!_

…directly into a very large, buff man.

Luke recognized him immediately as one of the churchgoers who'd been offended by his prayer. Which was why he had enough sense to duck, dodging the second fist aimed at him in the last five minutes.

However, before he could say or do anything else, another man, this one much shorter, had grabbed the back of his shirt and yanked. He fell to the ground, smashing his head against the stone. He stood, unfazed by the blow, and found himself surrounded by, not only strong men, but spectators cheering them on. One of the men charged at him, trying to knock him down again.

Luke's combat senses kicked in. His knee slammed against his attacker's ribcage. Before he could recover for the next attack, two others grabbed his arms. But his left arm was strong enough to break the grip, and he felt it connect, making a sickening crunch. Suddenly, the noises of the crowd stopped. He felt the hands let go of his right arm.

The man he'd hit was groaning on the ground, blood pouring out of a gash near his eyes. The metal of his fist had sliced his skin, as well as broken his nose. A woman rushed over to him.

"What did you do?!" she screamed at Luke. "Get out of here, you-you monster! You demon!"

He felt a man pull him back and shove him aside. "Go on!" the man yelled, grabbing Luke's collar. "Get out of here! And don't come back!"

Luke ran. The last thing he wanted was for an angry mob of churchgoers catching up to him. It occurred to him that, in the timespan of about thirty minutes, he'd been beaten up and kicked out, twice.

When he was sure he was a safe distance from Palmacosta, Luke stopped to catch his breath and pull out his Wing Pack. He took out the Reheird inside, hopped on it, and headed home. It had been a long day.


	2. Loose Cannon

**Siren: I'm sure you're all confused as to why we're updating in the middle of the day and not our usual ungodly hours of the morning.**

**Muse: We're not quite sure, either.**

**Siren: That having been said...**

**Muse: Disclaimer!**

**(poof) Deck of Uno Cards: Seriously? Inanimate objects now?**

**Siren: Hey, shut up. At least I'm real.**

**Deck of Uno Cards: Whatever. Sirens & Muses don't own ToS or Uno.**

**Muse: You do know I own you, right?**

**Deck of Uno Cards: That's slavery!**

**Muse: You were in the clearance bin for 50 cents.**

**Deck of Uno Cards: (cries) I'm worth more than that! (poof)**

**Siren: Not really. You're missing the blue skip. Review, please!**

* * *

Luke's arm was resistant to rust and had a rubber lining inside to protect it from water. That aside, he still hated the rain.

His mother had told him when he was a little boy that it always rained when bad things happened. It had been raining the day he'd lost his arm. It had been raining the day his father had finally told him the truth. It had been raining the day his mother had died.

He'd had enough of the rain.

His boots sunk into the mud as he dismounted the Reheird. He managed to squish his way up to the house that stood not far from Meltokio. It was small, just big enough to hold the mother, father, and young daughter that lived inside. And the mother's wayfaring brother.

No matter where Lucy and Dominic had lived over the years, there had always been room for Luke in it. He could always come home, after months of wondering around the worlds, to a bed. No matter how tough times were, how tight money was, there was always a place to sleep for him. Sometimes, it was just a couch or a cot in the basement. But it was something, which was more than he had.

Luke was careful to keep quiet as he crept upstairs, not wanting to wake the sleeping occupants. He stopped as he passed by the small bedroom beside his and peeked inside. The little girl had fallen asleep with her head resting against the window, a sketchpad and some crayons on her lap. Luke smiled and tried to move her without waking her.

No luck. Her eyes fluttered open. "Uncle Luke?" she asked groggily.

"Shh," he answered quietly. "It's bedtime, Ginger." He playfully pulled on her long red braid.

"My name's Yuna, Uncle Luke," she said, yawning and pushing his hand away from her hair. Her eyes drooped shut as he laid her down on the bed and pulled the covers over her.

"Goodnight," he whispered to her. She was already out. "Love you."

He closed the door behind him, tiptoeing to his own room. Inside, he pulled off his wet clothes and redressed into clean, dry ones. He took a few minutes to wipe off his arm before collapsing onto his bed. After a few minutes, the day caught up to him and he was asleep.

"Uncle Luke!"

Luke was awakened, much too early in his opinion, by a forty-pound child leaping onto his stomach. With a groan, he opened his eyes to see his six-year-old niece smiling down at him. "Good morning, Uncle Luke!"

"Morning, Yuna," he said, sitting up. She giggled and hopped off the bed. "Are your mom and dad up yet?"

"Nope! Come on, let's make breakfast!" Without waiting for a reply, she ran down the stairs, giggling. Luke followed.

Breakfast was a favorite pastime of Yuna and Luke's. Every morning, she would pounce on him, and together they would make breakfast.

"Come on, come on!" she yelled at him. "We gotta hurry up!"

As he stepped into the kitchen, his niece stared up at him.

"What happened to your face, Uncle Luke?" she asked.

Instinctively, his hand went up to the soft spot on his face. He could tell it was swollen, most likely bruised, and his lip was split. He smiled down at Yuna. "Nothing, sweetheart. I just had an accident."

"Was it because you said something stupid?" she asked. Luke raised an eyebrow. "Daddy says that most of your accidents happen because you say stupid things."

"It doesn't matter," Luke said. "What do you want to make for breakfast?"

Yuna clapped her hands excitedly. "Chocolate chip pancakes!"

"Alright, Ginger," he said, lifting her onto a chair so she could reach the counter. She stuck her tongue out.

"My name's not Ginger!"

He laughed. Yuna had red hair that was pulled back into pigtails or braids all the time. She reminded him of a character from a storybook whose name he'd forgotten. His pet name for her was Ginger, because it matched her so well.

After they finished making and eating chocolate chip pancakes, Luke checked the clock. "Alright, almost time for school. Come on, get ready."

Meltokio, for all its size and wealth, lacked a schoolhouse. It's only learning institution was a research academy for summon spirits, which was obviously not there to teach spelling to first graders. So, every morning, just as the sun came up, either Lucy, Dominic or Luke would walk Yuna to the House of Guidance to go to school.

Just as his daughter ran upstairs to get dressed, Dominic entered the kitchen, yawning. "Geez, Luke, it's been a while. When did you get home?"

"About midnight," he answered, watching as his brother-in-law got a cup of coffee. "I can walk Yuna to school."

"Yeah?" Dominic turned and caught full sight of Luke's face. "What happened to you?"

Luke hesitated. Finally, he muttered, "I saw Kratos."

"How is he doing since…?" Dominic trailed off.

"He went back to Mithos."

"What?" Dominic stared. "No. Not after Anna and Lloyd. He wouldn't."

"He was with the Chosen of Sylvarant," Luke continued. "She was travelling with a group of people."

Dominic narrowed his eyes. "No, Luke. I know what you're thinking."

"We can't just sit here and do nothing," Luke argued.

"We are not getting involved," Dominic countered. "It's stupid, it's dangerous, its-"

"We got involved all those years ago, back when Anna and Lloyd were still alive!"

"It's not the same thing!" Dominic yelled, shaking his head. "Kratos wasn't with Cruxis then!"

Both men stopped yelling as the door to the bedroom opened, revealing Dominic's wife and Luke's twin, Lucy.

Despite the two being twins, Luke and Lucy looked nothing alike. Luke was tall and thin, with short, light blonde hair and teal colored eyes. Lucy, on the other hand, was shorter and had long, straight blue hair, with eyes a much lighter shade of green. Yuna had inherited her red hair and brown eyes from her father.

The three were silent for a moment before Lucy spoke.

"Luke, take Yuna to school. She's going to be late." She nodded to her husband. "And you, Dominic, leave him alone. If he wants to do something stupid, let him do it."

Her husband didn't look pleased, but he didn't argue. Instead, he stalked into his bedroom, mumbling angrily. Luke shook his head. "Ridiculous."

"I don't want to hear it," Lucy snapped. "He's right. What you're going to do is stupid."

"How is it," Luke said, "that all of you guys seem to know what I'm going to do before I even tell you?"

Lucy looked at him. "Did you tell Kratos about Yuna?"

"…No. I wasn't sure if you wanted me to."

Lucy sighed. "Take her to school. Then…do what you want, Luke. Just be careful."

"You act like I'm going to single-handedly take on Cruxis. I'm just going to talk to him, try and convince him to stop bending to Mithos' will."

Lucy smiled. "Because that's going to work. You know as well as I do that you're going to try and stop their journey. At whatever cost." With that, she turned and followed her husband.

Luke sighed and went to the staircase. "Ready, Ginger?" he yelled up. She responded by running down the steps to meet him.

"All ready!" she said, pointing to her backpack. "Let's go!"

At the House of Guidance, Luke kissed her forehead. "Bye, Ginger."

"Are you going to be home when school's over?" she asked.

"Sorry," Luke said. "I have to go somewhere. But don't worry, I'll be back soon."

"Where are you going?" she asked sadly.

Luke tugged her pigtail. "I'm going to see a friend." With that, he turned and left, with his niece frowning after him.

"Be careful, Uncle Luke!" she yelled. "Come back soon!"

"I promise!" he yelled over his shoulder. And he meant it.


	3. Stir Things Up

**Siren: Hello, readers!**

**Muse: Why do we have more words according to than Word? Disclaimer!**

**(poof) Yuan: Stay away from me! (brandishes stick)**

**Muse: Don't you have a double bladed sword-thing?**

**Yuan: Oh, yeah. Sirens & Muses don't own ToS. (cowers behind Muse) Don't let her come near me!**

**Siren: Yeah, yeah. I'm too tired to do anything to you. Get the hell outta here.**

**Yuan: Thank God. (poof)**

**Siren: Review, please!**

* * *

Luke wasn't in any hurry to talk to her. Anyone else, it would've been easy. The half-elven woman, the little boy, the kid in red, even talking to Kratos probably would've been easier than this. But going on what he'd gathered from asking the people she'd talked to, the Chosen was the most kind and understanding of the group, the person most likely to let him join the Regeneration group.

"Hello," he said pleasantly. She glanced up and smiled.

"Oh, hello! How are you?"

She was sitting on the edge of the cliff of Asgard, feet dangling over it, playing with a necklace. Luke sat beside her. "It's broken," he pointed out.

"It was a birthday present." She smiled back. "I know it's broken, but it's okay. My friend promised to fix it for me."

They were quiet for a few seconds before she spoke again. "You know Kratos, don't you?" His surprise must've shown on his face, because she explained, "I saw you go upstairs at the inn in Palmacosta. He was mad afterwards, but he said he didn't want to talk about it." She hesitated for a second, then said, "You don't have to talk about it either, if you don't want to."

"Thanks," Luke said. "I wanted to apologize for…what I said. Do you think you can take me to see him?"

Her face lit up with a smile. "Of course! Come on, this way."

Luke stood and reached out his hand to help her up. She took it and said, "My name is Colette. It's nice to meet you."

"Lovely meeting you, Ms. Colette," he said. "I'm Luke."

They started to head back towards the inn in silence, Luke keeping one eye out for Kratos. Suddenly, Colette started waving. He glanced over and saw the two boys from Palmacosta running for them.

"Hey, Colette, the Professor says we have to hurry. Kratos wants to reach Luin before nightfall." The older boy, the one wearing red, stopped short and stared at him. "Um."

"Hi," Luke said. The smaller boy, a half-elf, gave him a shy wave.

"This is Luke," Colette said cheerfully. "He's one of Kratos' friends, so I'm taking him to see him."

"Oh." The red-clad boy held out his hand. "I'm Lloyd."

"And I'm Genis," the smaller one said.

Luke stood there, staring at Lloyd, whose hand was still outstretched. "Um, hi?"

"Wha-? Oh! Sorry." Luke shook Lloyd's hand, trying to ignore the fact that his brain was now going a mile a minute with questions.

They kept walking up towards the inn. Luke couldn't stop staring at Lloyd.

_His eyes give it away._

"So, Lloyd, you use swords?" Luke asked. "You must be pretty good to fight with both of those."

"You really think so?" Lloyd said, blushing a little. "Kratos says it leaves me little room to defend myself. He's been showing me a bunch of defensive stances."

_Yep, this is definitely his kid._

"Say," Genis asked slowly, "if you're friends with Kratos, can you tell us more about him?"

"Yes!" Colette said happily. "We always talk about Iselia and our lives, but he never talks about himself."

"Well, what do you want to know?" Luke asked. He suddenly found himself on the receiving end of Kratos-centric questions.

"What's his favorite color?" Colette asked excitedly.

"What? Um, I don't really know. I'd guess white."

"What kind of food does he like?" Genis asked.

"Anything but tomatoes," Luke answered.

"Who taught him swordsmanship?" Lloyd demanded. "Did he learn himself?"

"I'm not sure."

"How do you know him?" Genis questioned.

"I'm, um-"

"Are you related to him?" Colette asked.

"No, but I-"

"Does he even have any family?" Lloyd asked. "We've been all around the world, and he's never asked to go visit anyone."

"Look, guys," Luke said hastily. "I know you're curious, but you should really ask him this stuff."

"He never talks to us," Lloyd said, frowning. "He's so closed up."

"You should still ask him. I can't give completely accurate answers."

Lloyd made a face that clearly said that he wasn't about to give up, but all four of them fell silent. They were only a few yards away from the inn, where a lone figure was standing, glaring pointedly in the direction of the older man.

Colette finally broke the silence. "Kratos! Luke wants to apologize to you!"

For a few seconds, he didn't move. Then he slowly walked forward until he was standing two feet from Luke, still completely silent.

"Kratos," Colette said uncertainly, "Luke said he was going to apologize, okay? So it's all right now."

"He can apologize in private," Kratos said coolly. "We're going for a walk."

Without another word, he strode past Luke and walked straight for the exit of Asgard. Luke glanced at the trio surrounding him. "We won't be long. I'll see you guys later, okay?"

"O-okay," Colette said, her smile faltering.

"Man," Genis said. "Usually, he's so passive…"

"What did you do to piss him off so much?" Lloyd asked.

Luke didn't answer, but followed Kratos out of Asgard. They walked in silence for ten or fifteen minutes before Luke cleared his throat.

"So…I'm sorry."

"You met Lloyd." It wasn't a question.

Luke paused. "Yeah, I did. It succeeded in making me feel worse about what I said, by the way. What happened?"

Kratos sighed. "A dwarf outside Iselia found him and Anna."

"Anna's alive?"

He shook his head. "No. She told him to take care of Lloyd before she died. He grew up without any knowledge of his parents."

"Wow." Luke leaned against a tree. "So why haven't you told Lloyd? Isn't he curious at all about his father?"

This time, Kratos turned away. "Lloyd is…happy. He doesn't need me complicating his life any further."

They were silent for a few more minutes before Luke asked, "That's the dumbest thing you've ever said."

Kratos raised his eyebrow. "Lloyd doesn't need to know that his father is leading one of his best friends to her death."

"Total bull." Luke shook his head. "You're afraid, aren't you?" No reply. "I knew it. You're afraid of his rejection. You're convinced that he's going to hate you, and you don't like that idea. I see right through you, Kratos Aurion, you can't fool me."

"So what if I am?" Kratos said quietly. "Maybe I am afraid of Lloyd rejecting me as his father."

"He looks up to you," Luke said. "They all do. Colette was worried about you in Palmacosta, and they were all asking me questions about you. They consider you a friend, Kratos, just like I do."

"Luke, don't forget that I can see through you, too," Kratos said. "You didn't come here just to tell me how much our friendship means to you."

"Yeah, about that." Luke pushed himself off the tree. "You know my position on what Cruxis is doing, and you know why I'm here. I just want to know one thing."

"What?"

"Are you going to try and stop me?"

They stood in silence, watching each other wearily. Luke noticed how every few seconds, Kratos' gaze would shift to his left arm, as if he were remembering the reason Luke needed it.

"…No. I'll let you come. But on one condition."

Luke raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What's that?"

"No matter what happens to the Chosen, even if you don't manage to save her life…protect Lloyd. Keep him away from Mithos, make sure he's never harmed. And don't tell him the truth." Kratos stared directly into his eyes. "Do we have a deal?"

Luke considered this for a moment. Lloyd should know, yes; but it wasn't really his place to tell him. "Deal. But he will find out, you know. You can't hide it forever."

"…I know. Shall we get going?"

"Sure." Luke yawned. "Man, I'm beat. Do you have any idea how long it took me to find you guys?"

"We're heading straight for Luin," Kratos said. "You can rest when we get there."

They walked back in comfortable, familiar silence. _Just like old times,_ Luke thought. Kratos was still a step ahead of him, and he was struggling to keep up with the fast pace.

Suddenly, Kratos heaved a heavy sigh. "They're talking about you," he explained. "Apparently, they told Raine about you already, and now the kids are trying to guess what happened to your arm."

"I'm shocked they haven't started questioning me before now." Luke tapped his left shoulder, making a dull thunk against the metal. "I've heard it's my most prominent feature."

"The Chosen, in particular, wants to know how it happened. She's concerned. But she's too courteous to ask you flat out."

Luke frowned. "She's really a sweet person, isn't she? A true Chosen at heart."

"…Luke, we're only trying to do what's right," Kratos said quietly. "Don't fault us for that."

Luke said nothing. The pair came in sight of the rest of the group, who stopped talking abruptly.

"Luke wants to join us on the journey," Kratos said smoothly as they approached. "He's asked my permission, and if it's all right with you, I'd like him to come."

"Of course you can come!" Colette exclaimed. "It'll be fun."

"Normally," Raine said, "I'd say no, but since Kratos knows you, I don't have a problem."

"Great," Luke said, mirroring Colette's cheerful smile. He knew that smile: that fake, mask of a smile that covered up the truth. It was just a thin layer of make-up. You could only see the black eye if you knew it was there. He knew that smile so well, because every Chosen before her had worn it, too.


	4. Thicker Than Water

**Siren: Well, we disappeared off the face of the earth.**

**Muse: Sorry about that. Computers hate us.**

**Siren: But that's okay, because we've had time to write out new chapters on paper. Just give us time to type it.**

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**Cookie Monster: ...(poof)**

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**Muse: Hey! Cookie!**

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**Siren: E-cookie for anyone who reviews!  
**

* * *

"That's amazing."

Luke looked up to see Lloyd staring fixedly at his left arm. "What? What's amazing?"

The group had left Asgard several hours ago, but hadn't reached Luin yet. Night had fallen, prompting the rest of the group to complain until Kratos agreed to set up camp. Now, they were sitting around the fire, resting or, in Luke's case, doing basic maintenance.

"Everything!" Lloyd blurted out. "How do you fight with an arm like that?"

"Lloyd," Colette said quickly. "Maybe Luke doesn't want to talk about it."

"It's fine," he said, smiling at her. "Ask anything you want, I don't mind."

"I have been wondering, too," Raine said, frowning. "I've never seen such advanced technology outside of the human ranches. Who made your arm?"

"I did," Luke answered truthfully. "After I lost my real arm, my dad made me my first one. After that, I started to build spares in case the one I was using malfunctioned."

"You made it?" Lloyd's eyes went big. "No way! What metal did you use?"

"Wolframite. It's an alloy I make in my workshop, to use for weapons and engine parts." Lloyd blinked. "What's the matter?"

"I've never even heard of that metal," he said incredulously.

"Neither have I," Raine added. "Is it an original formula?"

"You mean, did I make it up?" Luke shook his head. "Again, my dad's work."

"By the way," Genis asked curiously, "How does your arm work, anyway?"

"Electrical impulses. When I first lost my arm, I had a cuff inserted in place of the socket in my shoulder. The cuff was attached to my muscles and nerves, then to my metal arm. That way, I only have to have surgery to attach it every once in a while, when it wears out." He didn't mention that 'once in a while' meant 'every two hundred years or so' to him. "My arm just has to be connected into the cuff if I need a new one."

Lloyd yawned. "Where's your workshop, anyway? Palmacosta?"

"It's in the middle of nowhere," Luke said. "I'll show you on a map sometime."

"You should all go to sleep," Kratos interrupted from where he sat with Noishe. "We're going to head for Luin first thing in the morning, then the next seal."

Lloyd rolled his eyes at Kratos' back. "Geez. Hey, Luke, how long have you known Kratos?"

"My entire life," he answered.

"Was he ever not an arrogant jerk?"

"There were a few years where he was a fun-loving, mischievous goofball, but he grew out of it." Luke stuck his tongue out at the dirty look Kratos threw him.

"Goofball?" Genis said, holding back laughter. "That's not the word I'd use to describe Kratos."

"Enough jokes at my expense," Kratos said irritatedly. "Get some sleep."

* * *

It was an hour later that Luke awoke to hear voices arguing in whispers.

"You can't ask him that, Lloyd!" Colette whispered.

"How else am I going to find out? He said we could ask whatever we want!"

It took Luke a moment for his brain to catch up to reality, and realize they were talking about him. And his arm.

"I agree with Lloyd," Raine said coolly.

"Raine!" Genis said, shocked. "I thought you said we shouldn't bring it up!"

"I said we shouldn't ask him directly," she said. "But I think it's crucial to know. Luke is an engineer; clearly, he's intelligent. But let's say he lost his arm because of recklessness in battle. That could be a disaster if he repeats the same mistake, not just for him, but all of us."

"Professor, you don't really think that Luke would put us in danger in battle," Colette asked, "do you?"

Raine hesitated. "Not intentionally, no. But we've only seen him fight minor monsters. It's entirely possible that his fighting skills aren't up to snuff."

"I trust him," Lloyd said. "It takes skill to fight with a fake arm."

"You trust everybody," Genis responded.

"I have an idea," Colette said suddenly. Luke heard her stand up and walk towards him. He kept his eyes shut, feigning sleep, hoping she wouldn't want to wake him. Instead, however, she stepped over him and kept walking. Finally, he heard her call out, "Kratos?"

"Of course!" Lloyd said, snapping his fingers. "Kratos'll know."

"Chosen One, you should be asleep." Luke heard the disapproval in Kratos' voice as he continued, "You should all be asleep."

"I'm sorry, Kratos," Colette said, while Lloyd mumbled something about the pot calling the kettle black. "We just wanted to ask you something about Luke."

There was a short pause, during which Luke silently hoped that Kratos could think up a believable story. Of course, he knew that Kratos had heard their whole conversation, so he'd had a few minutes to come up with one.

"How did Luke lose his arm?" Lloyd asked.

"…" Kratos was quiet, before he finally grunted, "It was an accident. An engine exploded, and his arm went with it."

"…That's it?" Lloyd said. "Nothing terribly traumatizing?"

"Lloyd!" Genis snapped. "The guy lost his arm! Of course it was traumatizing."

"Yeah, but why should he get upset because of an accident? It wasn't his fault!" Luke didn't even have to look to know that Lloyd was shrugging, his easy-going nature showing.

"He doesn't like thinking about it," Kratos said. "It wasn't one of his finer moments."

They sat in silence for a few moments before Colette said, "Lloyd, are you okay?"

"What? Oh, I'm fine. It's just that from this angle…" Lloyd paused. "…Kratos, do you know if Luke has ever passed through Iselia?"

"I don't know," Kratos said slowly. "It's been a while since we saw each other."

"I don't remember him," Raine said. "Why?"

"Ah, nothing," Lloyd said, sighing. "I swear I've seen him before. I guess it's just my imagination."

Everyone quieted down after that, occasionally making undecipherable murmurs and rustling sounds as they went to bed. Luke found the soft noise soothing and peaceful, so much that he fell asleep in minutes.

* * *

"_Wow," Luke said. "Look at you. Never thought I'd see you holding a baby."_

"_He's so cute," Lucy breathed, reaching out to stroke the little boy's cheek. "I love babies. Look, honey, he's waking up!"_

_Dominic watched silently as the infant opened his eyes and peered at them all curiously. His mouth opened in a wide, cat-like yawn before he snuggled deeper into his father's arms. "He looks like you," Dominic finally said. "Except his eyes."_

"_He has his mother's eyes," Kratos said, brushing a tuft of brown hair out of his son's face._

"_Which reminds me," Lucy said, smacking his arm. "When are we going to meet your wife?"_

"_Yeah, why didn't you tell us about her?" Luke asked._

"_Because you expressed a deep desire to never speak to me again as long as you lived," Kratos said._

_Luke rolled his eyes. "Come on. What a lame excuse."_

"_What are you going to name him?"Dominic asked suddenly._

"…_I think…Lloyd," Kratos said. "Anna loves that name."_

"_Lloyd, huh?" Luke reached over and took the baby out of Kratos' reluctant arms. "Hey, there, Lloyd. How you doing?" He took one of Lloyd's hands in his own metal one, careful not to hurt him. "Look at that. I think he likes me."_

"_He's drooling on your hand," his sister informed him._

"_What, friends can't drool on each other?" Luke handed him back to Kratos, who cradled him with a soft smile on his face._

"_I should go," he said quietly. "He'll need fed in an hour or so." He stood up to leave, nodding at them hesitantly. "Goodbye. I'll bring Anna here to meet you soon."_

_Lucy sighed. "Geez." She stepped forward and gave him a quick hug. "Anything you need, ever, come find us."_

"_Take care, Kratos," Dominic said._

"_I will," he answered._

_Luke grinned. "We'll see each other again soon. I'll be teaching your kid everything. You know, like how to build a go-kart and break his father's leg with it."_

"_Goodbye, Luke," Kratos said, shaking his head as he left._

_The three stood in silence, watching their friend walk away, clutching his son against his chest._

"_They'll be alright," Lucy assured herself. Although she didn't sound very assured._

"_Of course," Dominic confirmed. "Kratos can take on anyone who messes with his family. And besides, Mithos hasn't gone that far off the deep end. He wouldn't sacrifice his best friend's happiness just for his loyalty, would he?"_

_Neither Luke nor Lucy answered.

* * *

_

"Luke, wake up!" Luke snorted, having been shaken awake by Lloyd. It was just past dawn, when the sky was still pink.

"What's going on?" he asked sleepily, sitting up.

"A huge group of Desians just passed," Colette said. "They had people with them."

"They came from Luin," Raine said. "We need to head over there."

"Luin?" Luke was fully awake now. "That means…" He trailed off, but no one heard him. Everyone was too busy gathering up their things to head for the town and investigate.

Luke looked over at Kratos, who had been quiet the entire time. He was turned away, facing the human ranch. Facing Kvar. Luke saw his hand flex into a fist, his other hand on the hilt of his sword. And he knew, no matter how they got there, what the outcome would be.

Kvar's time was up.


	5. Forgive And Forget

**Siren: Happy Thanksgiving! Yay!  
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**Muse: It's officially the Christmas season!**

**Siren: I love the holidays. Snow, pretty lights, good music...**

**Muse: It's raining, your neighbors still have Halloween decorations up, and we're listening to the soundtrack for _Rent._**

**Siren: Shaddup.**

**(poof) Random Pterodactyl: What now?**

**Muse: This is why we shouldn't play Pictionary. Everything is either 'penis' or 'pterodactyl'.**

**Siren: Even when it's supposed to be a rainbow trout.**

**Random Pterodactyl: Excuse me! Sirens & Muses don't own ToS. Gobble (poof)**

**Siren: Review, please!  
**

**

* * *

**_It was strange, really, to see him walking through the threshold into the home they'd worked so hard to maintain. Every nerve in Luke's body screamed at him to stop him, tackle him, anything to prevent him from going farther. But Dominic and Lucy weren't objecting, at least not yet, so he simply stood and waited._

"_It's been a while," Yggdrasill said, extending his hand to Dominic, who didn't take it._

"_I know," he answered. "Why are you here?"_

_Yggdrasill frowned. For just a tiny sliver of a second, he looked…old to Luke. "What makes you think I have an ulterior motive, Nicky?"_

_Dominic flinched at the name. "Don't call me that."_

"_You haven't seen us in almost two hundred years," Lucy said. "And we all know how _that _ended. What do you want now?"_

_Of course, they all knew what he wanted now. He wanted Kratos, and anything Kratos had. Luke wondered briefly what his father would say if he were here. He didn't think very long, though, because Yggdrasill had just noticed the small box lying on the table._

"_What's this?" he asked, opening it. "A locket. For who, I wonder…" He went to unlatch the locket, but Luke snatched it out of his hand._

"_It's not yours," he said harshly, sounding like a petulant child._

_Yggdrasill narrowed his eyes. "My, my, why so secretive?"_

"_It's a present for a girl. It's got a picture of a very sensitive part of my anatomy, and we know how excitable you are, Mithos. Don't want to get you all worked up."_

_Luke felt a sick sense of satisfaction as he watched Yggdrasill's face twist in fury at the taunt. All pretenses were suddenly set aside._

"_Where is Kratos?" he demanded. "I know you've seen him, and that filthy human."_

"_Having trouble keeping track of your minions?" Dominic sniped. "Well, it wasn't our turn to babysit him. Ask Yuan."_

"_Yuan," he said with venom, "Hasn't a clue, although I don't believe him, either. Where are they?"_

"_Triet," Luke said. "In the stomach of the giant sand worm. They'd love for you to visit."_

_Yggdrasill stepped closer."Your mouth is going to get you into trouble someday, little boy," he whispered. _

_Dominic stepped between Yggdrasill and his brother-in-law. "Get out," he told the angel. "Leave, now, and don't come back."_

_Yggdrasill laughed hollowly. "Fine. But I will find them, and it will be all the worse then."_

"_Mithos," Lucy said. "Until now, we have had no major problems. You leave us alone; we leave you alone. But I tell you now, if you cause any pain or anguish to Kratos, you will be sorry." _

_Yggdrasill smirked, but there was still a look of frustration, as if he hadn't quite gotten what he wanted. He strode through the door, took his wings out, and flew._

_After he left, Lucy started pacing. "Should we warn Kratos?" she asked._

"_No." Dominic slid his arm around her, making her still. "He'll be watching us. It'd only lead Yggdrasill straight to them."_

_Luke examined the locket he was holding. He'd grabbed it from Yggdrasill with his left, mechanical hand; somehow in the process, he'd given it a small, but noticeable scratch.

* * *

_

"Kratos, how are you holding up?" Luke whispered. The two were trailing behind the rest of the group, where no one would notice the preoccupied look on Kratos' face. The only person who even had a chance of hearing their conversation was Colette, and her attention was being taken by Lloyd and Genis.

"I'm fine," Kratos snapped. Luke raised his eyebrow.

"Really? You don't sound fine."

"…" Kratos was silent, shutting himself off again. Luke shrugged and quickened his pace to catch up with the others, deciding Kratos was a lost cause. For now, anyway.

"We can't just let those poor people sit in the ranch!" Colette was saying.

"Colette's right, we're wasting time," Lloyd grumbled. "Who knows what the Desians could be doing to those people?"

"We don't even know where they were taken," Raine said. "It could very possibly be a misunderstanding, or a trap. It's a foolish mistake to go into a place that we have no knowledge of it. We don't even know who runs it!"

"Kvar." The others turned to look at Luke. "The leader's name is Kvar, and he's a particularly sadistic son of a bitch. You march into that ranch without a plan, you'll end up getting your ass handed to you."

"Exactly," Raine said. "We go to Luin."

They kept walking in silence, with Kratos trailing behind. Finally, just as the sky was streaked with dim sunrays, Colette squinted and pointed. "Look," she said. "Over there."

A billowy cloud of smoke was rolling over the general direction of Luin. Kratos made a noise from behind them, but it only attracted a glance from Colette. Luke fell back.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he whispered to Kratos.

Kratos took a deep breath. "I'll handle it."

"But are you okay?"

"I…" Kratos trailed off. "No. I'm not okay. And it is my experience that when people ask if you're okay, they don't really care about the answer."

"Stop moping," Luke mumbled. "Look at you. This is a chance to make things right with Lloyd. All you need to do is tell him the truth."

Kratos shook his head. "No."

Luke waited for an elaboration, but Kratos was silent again. "You know, this whole mess isn't going to be resolved just because you kill Kvar."

"…"

"The wounds you have from losing them will never heal completely. But you're lucky, you still have Lloyd. Make the most of it."

"…"

"Is this just a monologue to myself?" Luke shook his head and turned his attention to the group ahead. Genis was now gesturing to something off in the distance. Luke's eyes followed his motions.

The Tower of Salvation.

It loomed above them, the path to a heaven that was, ironically, more like Hell. One of the few places in the world that made Luke feel ill when he stepped inside.

Whatever Genis was saying abruptly ended, as they were now outside the gates of Luin.

"This is horrible," Colette whispered. The three of them started through the town, surveying the damage. Luke went to follow them, but was stopped by Kratos' hand on his sleeve.

"…You're right," he said finally. "Killing Kvar won't end this. But he can't be allowed to continue terrorizing this city."

"And what about Lloyd?" Luke questioned.

"There is no doubt in my mind that Kvar will tell Lloyd who really killed Anna. I'd much rather he consider me a good person, for as long as possible." Kratos looked towards the ranch. "I don't want him to think I'm a ruthless killer."

Luke shook his head. "There's only one problem with that, Kratos. You aren't a good person, and you are a killer." He turned and walked away from Kratos, leaving him to contemplate his own problems.

It had been out of line, he knew. It had been the last thing Kratos had wanted to hear. But that didn't make it any less true.

Luke approached Lloyd and the rest of the group. They were huddled around a young woman, who looked to be about half dead. He watched Lloyd, trying to understand Kratos' logic. None of the reasons he'd given satisfied Luke.

The bottom line was simple: Kratos was giving up his son.

Going along with Mithos' depraved plan the first time was excusable. His plans had convinced Luke for a while, too. And Kratos hadn't had a choice in killing Anna or losing Lloyd. Even going back to Mithos afterward was understandable; Kratos had been distraught, confused, and looking for anything to keep him sane.

But he was choosing to hide his identity from Lloyd now, and for that Luke couldn't forgive him.


	6. A Bone To Pick

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* * *

The woman's name was Sheena, and Raine didn't like her. At all. Of course, Luke couldn't blame her: meeting a person who tried to kill you multiple times puts a damper on the relationship. But at the same time, he felt bad for Sheena, who was trying so hard to save her own world at the expense of Sylvarant.

"You do know where she's from, right?" Luke whispered to Kratos that night, where the two were huddled away from the campfire. Sheena sat even further away, lurking in the shadows; Raine was giving her dirty looks from behind the book she was reading. The other three were playing a game of charades near the fire. Lloyd was, apparently, trying to be dead squirrel.

"Of course I know," Kratos snapped. "Tethe'alla."

"Mizuho, to be exact," Luke answered back. "Her clothes give it away. Lucy wore similar ones when we lived there."

"So," Kratos said tiredly. "I see you and your family are just as-"

Luke never found out what exactly his family was, because Kratos' head snapped up in the opposite direction and Colette suddenly said, "Shh!"

The charades game stopped abruptly. "What is it?" Lloyd asked, worried.

"…Footsteps," Colette answered. "A lot of people, coming this way."

"Fast," Kratos whispered.

"Corrine, come out," Sheena said. There was a puff of smoke and what looked to Luke like a guinea pig with blue wings appeared. "Scout ahead." Without another word, the animal obeyed. Raine watched it go with narrowed eyes.

"We should move," Luke said. "It could be Desians."

Moments later, Corrine came back, leaping onto Sheena's shoulder. "Soldiers!" she squeaked. "Lots of them, coming this way."

"Let's move," Kratos said with finality.

It took less than ten minutes to undo their campsite. By that time, Kratos' hand was flexing over his sword. "How close?" Luke whispered.

"Very," he answered simply. "We don't have more than five minutes."

Luke glanced around. They were camped directly outside of Luin, not far from the ruins of the town. Lloyd came up to them, the rest of the group following.

"Colette says they're almost here. What should we do, Kratos?"

Kratos was squinting towards the source of the footsteps. "...If there aren't any prisoners with them, fighting would be pointless."

"But if there are prisoners," Colette said, "we can't let them go back to the ranch."

"Are they heading for us or for Luin?" Genis asked, frowning.

"Why would they come to Luin?" Sheena asked.

"…They know this is where we'd be," Kratos answered. "The Chosen ends up visiting most major cities on her journey. If they've been keeping tabs on us, they'd know this is the next stop."

"We should go to Luin," Luke said. "If they're looking for us, we can hide. If they have prisoners, we can ambush them."

Raine nodded. "Then we should hurry up."

The group bustled off towards Luin, with Kratos and Luke once again hanging back. This time, though, they weren't alone.

"This Kvar guy…is he a good fighter?" Lloyd asked.

"Yes and no," Luke said slowly, glancing towards Kratos. His face was stony, staring ahead. "Kvar is a tactical leader. He runs his ranch efficiently, and I'd imagine that's how he runs his battles, too. Even worse, Kvar knows exactly which buttons to push on his opponents. The trick is not to get riled up by what he tells you."

"So, don't get all hotheaded?"

"Precisely." Luke smiled. "I know that's hard for you, Lloyd, but try to keep a level head."

Lloyd ignored his jibe. "So, Kvar won't be easy to kill."

"He certainly won't be easy to get to," Luke responded. "Magnius had guards around every corner of his ranch, guarding him with brute force. Kvar's ranch is a maze of tricks, puzzles, and traps. But his actual fighting style is easy enough to see through."

"His fighting style?"

Kratos finally spoke up. "Kvar's fighting style is very simple. He uses lighting magic, but rarely does he ever physically attack you. In fact, if you manage to get close to him, you'll probably be fine."

They had reached Luin. It looked even worse in the dark, when the shadows and silhouettes of the destroyed buildings looked like monsters. Genis was glancing around nervously.

"Where should we hide?" Sheena asked. She, too, looked shaken, but she was trying to hide it.

Raine pointed. "It would be too conspicuous to hide together in a large group. Three of us hide behind the inn, the rest hide behind that house. _And be quiet,_" she added.

Colette, Lloyd, and Genis immediately split off to hide behind the inn. Even through the darkness, Luke could see their occasional movements. He, Kratos, Sheena, and Raine crept behind the house nearby. Suddenly, Kratos said, "I think that's them. No one move."

They flattened themselves against the back wall of the destroyed house, not even breathing loudly. The footsteps of at least thirty soldiers pounded against the dirt. Luke could make out a few gasps and mutters.

A deep, elegant voice resonated through the ghostly town. "Search the area. If the Chosen is still here, we can catch her. And remember, don't harm her or her companions. Our leader needs them alive."

"Lord Botta," a soldier said, "Who destroyed the town?"

"…Most likely Kvar. We needn't worry about him; our leader will take care of him."

Luke listened as the guards searched the interior of the destroyed house, just on the other side of the wall he was leaning against. "Guys," he whispered. "Guys, we need to move. They'll find us."

Kratos shook his head. "They aren't looking very carefully. I heard one of them say that the inn was all clear; evidently, they haven't found Lloyd or the others."

"They don't expect us to be here?" Raine whispered. "Then why would they check?"

"A precaution, or perhaps they're hoping for a lucky break."

"Either way," Sheena added quietly, "We can't stand and fight. There's too many of them."

"We'll have to run at our first chance," Luke agreed. Raine and Kratos nodded, and the group was silent again.

"There's no sign of them. Shall we go fetch Lord Y-?"

The crack of splintering wood ripped through the air, followed by the unmistakable sound of the wood hitting the ground with a thump, followed by a very loud "Gah!"

All the soldiers turned towards the inn. "It came from over there!" one of them said, raising his weapon. The rest of the soldiers mimicked him and they all started to converge on where Lloyd, Colette, and Genis were.

"S-sir! It's the Chosen!" a shocked soldier shouted. "And two of her companions!"

Botta made a growling noise. "Incompetent fools! You could've ruined everything! Search the rest of the area, _thoroughly_, for the others!" Three soldiers, each dragging one of the three children, emerged from behind the inn. Lloyd had to be supported by a forth, as whatever had collapsed had hit his leg.

Meanwhile, the rest of the soldiers crawled through the town, searching every nook and cranny for the rest. Luke edged around the side of the house, hoping to get a better view. Unfortunately, he ended up giving the soldiers a better view.

"Hey! Who goes there?" A rough hand grabbed Luke's shoulder and spun him around. "Another one, eh? Where are the rest?"

"Not here," Luke lied through his teeth. "We lost them in the forest on our way here."

"Well, we'll just see if that's true," another said, and went to the other side of the house to check. Luke saw three shadowy figures creeping out through the town entrance while no one was watching.

"No one's here!" the soldier reported. After a few minutes of silence, the rest of the soldiers returned, reporting that there was no sign of anyone in the destroyed town.

"Good," Botta said. "We'll take these four, then."

A guard roughly poked Luke in the back with his sword. "Let's move," he snarled.

In response, Luke raised the middle finger of his left hand.

The hilt of the weapon slammed into his spine, making him fall. He pulled himself up just in time to get the same hilt thrust into his gut.

"Move it!" the soldier ordered him. Luke stood and walked as slowly as possible out of Luin, trying to assess the situation. Lloyd, Colette, and Genis were being prodded along beside him.

"Now what?" Lloyd asked.

"We must be headed back to where we were before, in Triet," Genis answered.

"Or Kvar's ranch," Luke whispered. "I hope it's not Kvar's ranch." Just the thought of seeing that waste of skin was enough to get him pissed off.

"Please, let them go," Colette said. "I'm the Chosen. You only want me, right?"

"You are not the only one Lord Yuan wants to see," Botta said.

"Yuan?" The word was out of Luke's mouth before he could stop it. "Son of a bitch. _That's_ why you kept calling him 'our leader'."

"You know this Yuan guy?" Lloyd questioned. Botta raised an eyebrow, apparently wondering the same thing.

"Oh, yeah, we know each other real well," Luke said bitterly. "Very close."

"He's not far," Botta said, nodding ahead. "He stayed away in case things with the Chosen got…nasty."

Luke snorted. Yes, if Kratos knew that it was Yuan trying to kidnap Lloyd, things would get very nasty, very quick.

"Please," Colette begged again. "Let my friends go."

"I'm afraid not, Chosen," Botta said. Luke noticed that his voice got softer when he spoke to Colette.

"Why does he want us, anyway?" Lloyd asked viciously.

"He has his reasons," the older man said. "We're very close. He's at the inn up ahead."

It took Luke a moment to realize that they'd walked to Hima. Or what was left of it.

Years ago, the town had been more than a tiny inn and a tarp. It had homes, families, until Kvar got to it. Then it met the same fate as Luin. The only difference was that Luin was important enough to rebuild.

"Inside," a soldier grunted, nudging Luke forward with his sword. Luke closed his eyes and took a deep breath, hoping he could keep his temper in check.

"Well, well, I see we have a few friends that tagged along," a voice rang out as footsteps descended the stairs. Suddenly, the footsteps stopped right in front of him. "Luke? What are you doing here?"

Nope.

Luke kicked out, hitting Yuan right between the legs. He doubled over in pain as the guard pressed his blade against Luke's back. "Apologize to Lord Yuan!" he snarled.

"No, it's fine," Yuan was back on his feet, as calm as ever. "Let him go. We'll take a walk."

The guard looked at Yuan doubtfully. "But, sir, he's dangerous-"

"Do you think I can't protect myself?" Yuan laughed. "He's a mere child. Come." He motioned to Luke to leave the inn. He hesitated at first, but decided to follow.

"I'll be back soon," he assured the other three. Turning to Yuan, he said, "You had better not hurt them."

Yuan nodded. "Take them into that room. And heal him," he added, pointing to Lloyd. Botta nodded and the rest of the soldiers saluted before ushering the kids into the room. "Oh, and Botta?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Don't let them talk. I find that they get into trouble when they conspire."

Botta saluted and followed the soldiers as Luke and Yuan left.

Yuan walked with Luke in silence up to the plateau, where he sat down over the edge. "Sit with me," he whispered. Luke did so, but he faced away, avoiding Yuan's gaze.

"So," Luke said, "I see you're working with the Desians now."

"Not Desians," Yuan said carefully. "Something different. I can't say more, in case it reaches the wrong ears." He hesitated. "How are you?"

The underlying question, of course, was 'what the hell are you doing here', but Luke ignored it. "I'm fine. Had some indigestion before, but some apple gels cleared that right up."

Yuan narrowed his eyes. "You know what I mean. What the hell are you doing here?"

"Eh, thought I'd visit with Kratos, catch up with him," Luke shrugged, trying to look at anything but the man sitting next to him. "Maybe dissuade Colette from choosing to end her life for a worthless cause."

Yuan remained stony-faced. "And how are you going to do that?"

"I'm still working on the how. Right now, the plan's in its infancy." Luke turned to look out at the sunrise, but instead saw the Tower and looked away. "What do you intend to do with Colette, Lloyd, and Genis?"

"We'll probably let the little one go," Yuan informed him. "But we have plans for Lloyd."

"And Colette?" Luke prompted.

He hesitated. "I'm not sure, but the regeneration cannot happen. If she insists on trying to go through with it, we'll have to use force."

"You should've been a politician," Luke said bitterly. "You're going to kill her, aren't you?"

"Possibly. But the choice is really hers."

"That's the biggest load of bullshit I've ever heard. She hasn't had a choice since they asked her what color crayon she wanted to color with in kindergarten." Luke leaned back, staring at the stars instead of the Tower or Yuan. "You know that she's been brought up that this is her duty in life. She wants to save the world."

"Please," Yuan said, suddenly more urgent. "I'm trying to stop Cruxis. Whose side are you on?"

Luke closed his eyes. "The side with less dead sixteen years olds."

"Believe me when I say that this isn't easy," Yuan said. "Neither is what I have to do to Lloyd and Kratos."

"What's that?"

"You, of course, are very smart, Luke." He was sure he heard a strange sort of pride in Yuan's voice. "I'm sure you know who Lloyd is."

"Yeah."

"Aren't you going to tell him the truth?" Yuan asked.

"…No." Luke opened his eyes to see that the other man was staring down keenly at him. He shut his eyes again. "Only Kratos has the right to do that."

"But-" Yuan began, but Luke cut him off. He sat up and finally looked at Yuan.

"I know you," he said. "You have some scheme in your head where you use Lloyd for your own agenda. Well, here's the thing: I'm against using people. I'm against manipulating and lying to get what you want, no matter how noble the cause." He chose his words carefully. Yuan's eyes flickered to his left arm. "I happen to agree with you that Lloyd should know. But I told Kratos I'd keep his secret and I'm a man of my word."

"So," Yuan said slowly, "Instead of choosing a side, you made up your own. How…like you." He stood and motioned for Luke to do the same. "I have no choice, then. You're my enemy for now, just as they are."

Luke stood and they headed back towards the inn. Just as they came up to the entrance, he chuckled. "What's so funny?" Yuan asked.

"You know how you told Botta not to let them talk?"

"Yes?" Yuan said suspiciously.

"I think they can read minds. You know they escaped, right?"

Yuan shook his head. "You're trying to bluff me out. I don't buy it."

Luke shrugged. "Okay. But remember, you don't have to fight twenty men if you can outsmart them. I'm guessing no one bothered to lock the window in the bathrooms." Yuan's eyes widened. "Also, I have a message for you."

Luke punched him in the face.

He fell back, sprawled out on the ground, blood pouring from his nose. Luke leaned down and said, "That's from Dominic."

He took off down the hill, following Lloyd, Colette, and Genis as they made their escape.


	7. Against the Clock

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* * *

"_It's beautiful," Anna muttered. She opened it, a smile dawning on her face. "Look, Lloyd, it's you. And Daddy, and me."_

_Lloyd was much more interested in trying to shove his toes in his mouth than looking at the locket, so Kratos examined it instead. "You did a good job on it. Here." He motioned for Anna to lean forward and slipped the chain around her neck._

_The family was staying in a secluded small house in the Gaoracchia forest. Years ago, it had been abandoned, but with a little elbow grease, Kratos had managed to make it livable. It was here that they had found solace and peace, a place of protection for Lloyd. For now, anyway._

"_What's it made of, Luke?" Anna asked, running her thumb over the smooth surface of the locket._

"_A gold alloy," he said. "Equal parts gold, silver, and brass. This is the first thing I've made with it. I think I'll make Lucy a bracelet next."_

"_How did it get scratched?" Kratos asked, his superior eyesight catching the barely noticeable flaw._

"_Ah, I just…handled it a little too roughly," he said dismissively. "I wanted it to be a little less malleable, but it would've been too heavy."_

"_No, no, I love it!" Anna said. "I don't even see a scratch. Thank you, Luke."_

_They spent the rest of the evening idly chatting and playing with baby Lloyd. However, Kratos' eyes would occasionally flicker to Luke, then to the locket, as if trying to decipher a code. When Luke finally left, with a hug for Anna, a kiss on the forehead for Lloyd, and a wave to Kratos, he stepped out onto the porch._

_Into a sheet of rain._

_Walking home, he thought of his mother, and how she might've been wrong. Mucking through the mud of the forest, he thought of Kratos showing off his baby son proudly. He thought of Anna, smiling serenely and mumbling baby talk. He thought of Lloyd, unaware of the turmoil he'd been born into and the happiness that could come out of it. Maybe, Luke thought, just maybe good things could happen in the rain._

* * *

They made it almost a mile before they had to stop. Luke glanced behind them and saw that no one was following; they were safe so far. Panting, the four stopped and sat on the ground.

"Do you think…they'll catch up?" Genis gasped, glancing back.

"No." Luke squinted off into the distance. "I think we're out of the woods, metaphorically speaking."

"Who was that guy?" Lloyd demanded. "How do you know him?"

Luke was silent. Lloyd groaned. "Why all the secrets? You and Kratos, you and this Desian-"

"They aren't Desians."

"Then what are they?" Genis asked.

"I don't know," Luke answered truthfully. "But knowing Yuan, it can't be good."

* * *

Kratos, Raine, and Sheena stood in front of the Asgard ranch. "Well," Sheena said, "how do we know that they're in there?"

"That's the only place they could be," Kratos answered. "This is the closest Desian ranch. Unless they escaped or they're already…" he swallowed, "…dead, they're inside."

Sheena sighed. "We never should've left them. We should've stayed and fought."

"We wouldn't have made it out alive," Kratos said. "Too many Desians. This way, we might be able to save them."

"You don't think they would be killed, do you?" Raine asked softly.

Kratos was sure Kvar would want to take Lloyd down personally, but how long could the teen last against the Grand Cardinal? All he said, however, was, "Let's just hope they got away before they went into the ranch."

"We can't just barge in there," Sheena said. "We need a plan, fast."

"Perhaps we should sneak in?" Raine suggested. "Disguise ourselves as Desians?"

"That seems the best plan," Kratos said, eyeing a group of patrol guards. "Get ready."

A few minutes and one scuffle later, the trio had pulled on three Desian uniforms and were marching up to the entrance.

"Halt! Identification, please." The guard held out his hand. Kratos searched and found a small card, which he handed to the guard. The man looked at it suspiciously before giving it back. "…Go ahead in."

And with those words, Kratos led the way inside.

* * *

Yuan glared fiercely at his men. They were lined up, staring down, looking like they were facing a firing squad.

"I should electrocute the lot of you! Those four were the key to our plan, and you blabbering jackasses let them get away! What were you thinking, letting them go to the bathroom, _by themselves? _Did it ever occur to you to, maybe, watch them? Or separate them?_"_

"Sir," one soldier said desperately, "I tried to keep an eye on them, but the little one called me a pervert-"

Yuan's temper snapped. "Really? A child called you a pervert? That's why you let them escape? I'm so glad you have a good reason for it!" He slapped the soldier on the back of his head. "Idiot."

No one spoke while Yuan continued his rant, stopping only to take a deep breath. It was made worse when Botta arrived to whisper in his ear that the group had outrun the Renegades.

Finally, he ran out of steam. "Now get out of my sight. And so help you, if any of you step out of line, I will personally see to it that your asses are nailed to the wall." He turned on his heel and stormed up the mountain.

He stared intently at the rising sun, his face contorted in anger and thought. First and foremost, he needed to stop the Chosen. The journey was going much faster than he'd originally planned; Kratos must've been rushing it.

Secondly, he had to get Lloyd, by force or by persuasion. Only when he had control of Lloyd would the plan fall into place.

And Luke…he would have to play that by ear. After all, Luke seemed to be making his own path. All Yuan could hope for was that they wouldn't end up enemies.

* * *

"Come on!" Lloyd begged. "Tell me!"

"No." Luke squinted his eyes at the sunrise. "We need to get out of the forest, where I can see better."

They hadn't slept since the night before. Colette, of course, had no need to sleep, but the boys were both slouching and dragging their feet. Lloyd was trying to stay awake and alert by badgering Luke about Yuan.

"Are you and Kratos secret agents in a society? And you're working against this Yuan guy?" he asked.

"No, that's stupid. Now shut up, I need to hear." Luke nodded towards a clearing ahead of them. "We'll rest up ahead."

"What about the others?" Colette asked. "We have to find them."

"We know where they are," Luke said.

"How?" Lloyd demanded. "Did they tell you? Through the secret code of the secret society you and Kratos are in?"

"They're at the ranch," Luke said, ignoring Lloyd's remark. "Isn't it obvious? They're looking for us. They think we were taken to Kvar's human ranch."

"Can we stop and rest?" Genis asked tiredly. "I'm exhausted."

"…A half-hour. We can't afford more than that." Luke reached up and swung himself into a tree, climbing the branches easily, until he was forty feet high.

"Whoa. What are you doing up there?" Lloyd yelled up.

"It's a good lookout post," Luke indicated the horizon. "I can see the ranch from here. If we rest for a little while, we should be able to make it there before…well, soon."

"Aren't you going to sleep, Luke?" Colette asked. Luke smiled at her.

"I'll be fine," he said soothingly. "Just…try to relax. Take a nap, eat something."

She smiled back faintly, and he felt a pang of nostalgia. "Okay. Be careful up there."

Be careful. How many times, Luke thought, had he heard those words? Quite a few. And how many times had he ignored them?


End file.
